École Morden Middle School 

NEWSLETTER  December 22, 2017 

The Holiday Season is Here!!! 

 

Merry Christmas!  

There is always much discussion this time of year about the relationship between public schools, their families, and Christmas. Christmas traditions in Canada range from being entirely devoted to religious ceremony and celebration, to a simple opportunity to gather with friends and family and remind each other of the important things in life. As a diverse city, Morden is also home to many people and families of other religions who celebrate a variety of important dates throughout the year and spend the December holiday creating their own family traditions. At ÉMMS we are proud of this diversity and of the passionate beliefs and values of our community. Every perspective and background allows us to consider and learn about humanity. Christmas traditions in Manitoba tend to promote love, generosity, togetherness, and community. People come together to support those in need with gestures of kindness and expand their circle of care to include more than their immediate loved ones. These universal values are worth celebrating regardless of faith or background so we wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Make the most of it. 

 

 

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“ROOTED IN CARING. COMMITTED TO LEARNING.” 

Concert Season a Success 

Our annual Christmas Concerts were held in the weeks leading up the the Christmas break and the kids performed wonderfully. On December 14th our Grade 7 and 8 Arts classes presented to a great crowd at Morden Collegiate Institute in the gymnasium. Mr. Tan, Mrs. Clyde, and Ms. Verhoog had their classes well prepped and the students rose to the occasion. On December 20th our Grade 5 and 6 classes presented to a packed house at the Access Event Center. Every student participates in this concert, meaning homeroom teachers work hard alongside Mrs. Clyde to put it all together. Congratulations to all students and staff on a job well done. We would also like to thank MCI and the AEC. (Front Page Photo: Grade 5-6 Rehearsal) 

Christmas Cheer Hockey Game 

This year’s Grade 8 students took on the Staff in what we are hoping will become a tradition. Our student body walked over to the arena to take in the game with each student donating $2.00 to the Christmas Cheer Board for admission. The teachers came up with a 10-4 victory backed by a dominant performance from Mrs. Williams and the long reach of Mr. Elias. However, a lot of them were left hobbled and yawning for the afternoon. A huge thank you goes to Mr. Edie, Mr. Nicholls, and Mr. Andrews for organizing the event and to the Grade 8 players who signed up to lead the fundraising efforts before the contest. Also a big thanks to Giant Tiger for generously donating the supplies for the Hot Chocolate sale.  

 

 

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“ROOTED IN CARING. COMMITTED TO LEARNING.” 

 

New WSD/ÉMMS Website To Launch in the New Year 

As shared in earlier newsletters, WSD has been working hard on renewing our websites in an effort to improve communication and promote the schools and division as great places to learn and work. Each school has been diligently building their new sites with the goal to launch them after the Christmas break. Last year, ÉMMS collected information from our Parent Advisory Council, staff, and students to help us try and meet the needs of stakeholders. We are excited about the launch and will seek feedback after it has been up and running for a month or two.  

Love is in the Air 

This month, Ms. Jaska’s grade 7 class had the opportunity to plan a wedding. What started as a class joke turned out to be a great way to practice Project Based Learning. Students worked as groups to create research questions, interview a real life couple, and plan that couple’s wedding. 

Throughout the project, students met with vendors such as hairstylists and a florist. They researched the cost of a wedding’s many components in an attempt to fulfill the wishes and dreams of the couple. The students honed their communication and presentation skills and practiced converting currency, figuring out sales tax, and creating a budget. 

One lucky group was ultimately named the most successful grade 7 wedding planners! They had the most detailed and on-target vision for the couple’s wedding. We don’t know if the couple will use any of the students’ ideas, but they did seem quite enamoured with a hashtag created by the group. Now, of course, the students are all waiting for their invitations to the August wedding. Congratulations to the happy couple! 

  

 

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“ROOTED IN CARING. COMMITTED TO LEARNING.” 

Canadian Parents for French: Morden Chapter Dec. / Jan. 2018 CPFMorden@outlook.com Find us on Facebook!   French Performer On December 8, a performer from “The Legend Factory” told educational and historical tales with the help of two giant screens and animation sequences to Grades 3-8 French Immersion and Gr 7&8 French Communication and Culture (English program) students. CPF-Morden was one of the major sponsors of this enjoyable event.   The Bop is Back! We will be hosting our popular “Bilingual Bop” family dance on February 1, 2018 from 6:30-8pm at Maple Leaf School. This dance is geared towards students in Grades K-4, but siblings are welcome. This free event is to open to all students from Maple Leaf and Minnewasta School. There will be French music, face painting, snacks and raffle tickets available for purchase, and more!   French Classes for Parents CPF-Morden is offering a block of basic French classes for parents. Vocabulary and phrases that you can use at home with your child will be taught as well as an introduction to French reading. Come and try the class for free from 7-8:30 pm on January 18, 2018 in Room 214 at ÉMMS. To register for the free “Try It” night please email Sara at CPFMorden@outlook.com. If you enjoy the class there will be an opportunity to then register for four classes that will be offered on Thursdays, starting February 8th. The total cost for all four sessions is $15 for CPF members and $25 for non-CPF members. If you can’t make the “Try It” night but you are interested in taking the block of classes, please let us know so we can plan accordingly.   Parent Information Evening An information evening for anyone interested in learning more about the Gr. K-12 French Immersion program will be held on February 7, 2018 at 7pm in the MCI Library. The principals from Maple Leaf Elementary, ÉMMS, and MCI will be presenting information and will address your questions and comments. Come and learn about what is currently offered, as well as the challenges and opportunities of our French Immersion program.   Next Meeting Our next CPF meeting will be held on January 16, 2018 at 7pm in the music room at Maple Leaf School. Members and non-members are welcome to attend. Childcare is available at a suggested donation of $1 per child. 

 

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“ROOTED IN CARING. COMMITTED TO LEARNING.” 

Sleep and Learning 

Laura Sander, School Psychologist 

Sleep is a basic physical need of all people. But did you know that not getting enough sleep every night can affect a child’s learning and memory? Even if your child works hard during the day to understand all the new information they’ve been taught, that learning will fade away more quickly without the proper amount of rest. Tiredness can also lead to inattention, irritability, and poor decision making. So how much sleep is enough? Experts suggest 11-13 hours per night for preschoolers (ages 3-5), 9-11 hours for school-aged children (ages 5-12), and 8-10 hours for adolescents (ages 13-18). 

Sleep Tips: ● Keep a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends and holidays ● Have a relaxing bedtime routine that brings the child from a high activity level to a low 

one ● Keep the bedroom quiet and slightly cool ● Remove distractions such as TVs or computers, and limit screen time before bed ● Avoid food or drink with caffeine ● Do physical activity earlier in the evening, rather than just before bedtime 

HOW we read makes a difference, not just WHY we should read! 

Darlene Keith, WSD Literacy Coach 

Here is a quote to consider as you read or watch your children read: 

“We need to recognize that reading ought to change us. Reading ought to lead to thinking that is disrupting, that shakes us up, that makes us wonder, that challenges us. Such thinking sets us on a path to change, if not the world, then at least ourselves.” 

Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst 

 

 

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“ROOTED IN CARING. COMMITTED TO LEARNING.” 

Good Wishes and Good Deeds! 

5 Williams would like to start by wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and all the very best in the new year! 

This month we continued with our “Pay it Forward” acts to put smiles on the faces of those we interact with. On December 1st we headed over to Homestead South to interview some of the residents there. We asked them lots of questions, recorded and taped their responses, and have been busy drafting and revising those answers into biographies. We learned a lot of interesting facts about the people in Homestead South and in the New Year we will go back to read the biographies we have written and ask where additions or changes are needed. We have a real purpose for revising as we will eventually leave a booklet with the residents entitled “Who is Who in Homestead South”. 

Three more students stayed after school on December 11 th to bake and this time they chose a grade 8 class for us to pay it forward to. We delivered the cake to Ms. Bart’s homeroom and we think that they were quite surprised to receive it! This pay it forward act has spread quite nicely through the school with several of the classes having already received a kindness act from another class. 

Earlier in the year our class was among the several classes that participated in the Legion Literary Contest. The Legion members are very appreciative of the entries they get and it makes them feel good that the younger generation puts effort into acknowledging the importance of Remembrance Day. This year one of our own classmates, Emely Schuetz, won second place for her entry. Congratulations to Emely and to everyone else who submitted entries that made the Legion members hopeful for tomorrow! 

Most mornings the kindness elf has visited our classroom asking us to spread kindness in specific ways. Amongst other things, we have picked up garbage, looked for new friends to play with, written thank you and positive notes and invited other classes to eat lunch with us to name a few kindness activities. We hope that we have made others smile and also encouraged them to do similar acts of kindness.  

We challenge you to keep doing random acts of kindness throughout the holidays!  

 

 

 

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“ROOTED IN CARING. COMMITTED TO LEARNING.” 

Truth and Reconciliation 

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its 94 calls to action more than two years ago. The current Federal government has made a commitment to implement these calls to action. The report’s recommendations are intended to redress the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. Many of the document’s recommendations challenge the education system directly to do more to teach and incorporate indigenous perspectives. Western School Division has taken initiative in educating its teachers and furthering the conversation on working towards reconciliation.  

Recently, teachers from ÉMMS and Minnewasta School (Ashlee Bart, Marcie Robertson, Brendan Edie, Heather Scott, Michael Ward, and ÉMMS Principal Suzanne Powell) attended a workshop - Wahkotowin: The Road to Reconciliation - in Portage La Prairie. The event was hosted by Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, a Professor in Native Studies at the University of Manitoba. 

The 3 day workshop was attended by more than 60 teachers from across the region. Working with Niigaan, each division discussed and developed ways in which schools could begin to include and incorporate indigenous teachings. 

 THE BENTWOOD BOX: CARVED BY COAST SALISH ARTIST LUKE MARSTON,  

THE TRC BENTWOOD BOX IS A LASTING TRIBUTE TO ALL INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SURVIVORS.  

 

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“ROOTED IN CARING. COMMITTED TO LEARNING.” 

Athletics 

The Grade 5/6 after-school volleyball club had its last practice on December 19th. With a total of 40 students as active members in the club, participation was great and the students had a great time practicing skills and playing games. The coaches were very impressed with the sportsmanship demonstrated by the students and the effort they put into playing their best. A special thank you to our parent volunteers and athletes for making our club great. 

The wrestling team is off to a great start again this year! Our numbers are about the same as last year; we currently have 23 active wrestlers who are practicing and competing mostly against Winnipeg clubs. We just had our first tournament of the season on December 16 and performed quite well with several of our wrestlers coming away with gold, silver or bronze medals in their respective weight class. We plan on attending a few more tournaments in Winnipeg and hosting our own home tournament in February. 

If you think that wrestling might be the right fit for you then come out and give it a try! 

The basketball season is getting underway at all levels. Tryouts for the grade 7-8 teams have taken place and the teams are set and ready to go. Letters for the grade 5-6 basketball club have been sent home and the season will kick off after the break.  

 

 

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“ROOTED IN CARING. COMMITTED TO LEARNING.” 

Some Pics from our Grade 7-8 Christmas Concert 

 

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“ROOTED IN CARING. COMMITTED TO LEARNING.” 

Some Pics from our Grade 5-6 Christmas Concert 

 

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“ROOTED IN CARING. COMMITTED TO LEARNING.” 

  

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